A Dark Cold Night
by Teoryn
Summary: It started off like any other night but when Raph stumbles upon a familiar figure half frozen in the New York snow he will have to make a decision. He knows what he should do, but is it really what he wants to do? AngelRaphael
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the turtles and I am making no money off this story.

Summery: It started off like any other night but when Raph stumbles upon a familiar figure half frozen in the New York snow he will have to make a decision. He knows what he should do, but is it really what he wants to do?

Authors note: The two main characters in this story will be Raph and Angel. The guys are around seventeen and Angle is around fifteen. Please review. I would really like to know what you guys think of this story. (-: I am always open to criticism as I am always looking for ways to improve my writing. Thanks! (-:

By: Teoryn

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On a Dark Cold Night

Raphael moved about the dark streets of his city on his evening patrol. The night chill was starting to seep down into his bones and he knew that he would have to start back home soon. He paused and wrapped his arms about himself lightly beating them in an attempt to keep his blood circulating and to brush off the light dusting of snow. His brothers and him all walked a thin line of being both cold blooded and warm blooded if there ever was such a thing. Donnie had come up with some sort of explanation at one time but he couldn't remember all of it. He just knew the jest of what had been said. It was all due to their mutation. They were able to sweat which no other cold blooded creature could do but they were defiantly more susceptible to the cold than their warm blooded counter parts.

Winter, it was the only time of the year that the turtles wore clothes for any purpose other than to blend in with the human population. Yet the clothes only did so much before even they were of little help. At least this year they would have working heat in the lair courtesy of Donnie of course. Sometimes it really paid to have an in house genius.

The silence was suddenly broken by a sharp beep coming from Raphael's belt and he looked at the phone in annoyance. He knew who it was before he even grabbed the cursed contraption. The beep would not stop and he momentarily debated not answering, but then thought better of it. If he didn't answer then his brother would hunt him down and it would be a lecture for the next week about why it is important to answer ones phone. Listening to both his brother and father's lecturing was enough to convince him to answer. With a growl he pulled the cell from his belt.

"What do you want Leo." He snapped at his brother with no remorse. Leo, for his part, didn't seem to be phased at all by Raph's tone of voice.

"You didn't check in," was the short clipped response.

"Good heavens Leo! I am what," he checked the time on the front of the phone, "thirty seconds late! Have you really nothing better to do?"

"You know the rules."

"Right the rules." He let out an exasperated sigh. Sensei had set the time limits during the winter when the boys went out. Raph understood why but it didn't mean that he liked it. There really was no use arguing. "Fine, I am about twenty minutes away. I am heading back now."

Raph didn't wait for a response and closed the phone shoving it back into his belt. He had really been enjoying the freedom of being out of the lair by himself that he was loathed to give it up. Just the other night the news had been going on about a large storm that was due to hit New York in the next few days. If it was as big as predicted then it was likely that this would be the last time he or his brothers got a chance to hit the surface for a while.

With an ease that only came from years of practice Raphael scaled the building next to him with amazing ease, landing on the roof with a clean back flip. He moved out at a jog, a dark shadow moving from roof to roof without a sound. Within moments the faded green and white of a winterized central park was sprawled out before him and he dropped back down to street level.

As he walked down one of the many paths he was aware of a presence. Raph paused and moved closer into the shadows. Not far behind him he heard soft foot steps crunching the dried leaves that lay on the ground but then it stopped. Raph instinctually grabbed the hilt of his sai and waited. Nothing happened, there was no further movement and he thought perhaps the person knew that he was there but he doubted it but even if the did that was fine with Raph. If some mugger thought they would have an easy go with him he would have fun proving the fool wrong.

The crunching sound started again but it seemed more random as if the person was staggering and then there was the unmistakable sound of someone falling. Raph stood undecided for a moment. Should he go and investigate or head back to the lair? Leo would say that it wasn't their responsibility but then what if the person really needed help and he just walked away? The temperature was dropping rapidly as the night wore on and the snow fall was only going to get worse. If he walked away and someone was in need of help then they very well could die from exposure. He couldn't simply walk away; his honor would not allow it.

Keeping a strong grip on his sai just in case, Raph moved forward towards the main path. There was an old street lamp that sputtered out dim light onto the well used path. It didn't offer any real illumination but it was plenty for Raph to see by. Not far from a bench at the edge of the bare trees was a small form crumpled in on it self. Careful not to reveal himself in case it was some kind of new trick he moved towards the body.

From Raphael's vantage point he guessed that it was a young girl who was sorely underdressed for the currant weather. In fact, there was something alarmingly familiar about the girl. As he came closer he could clearly see purple hair sticking out from a thin wet hood of the sweater the girl was wearing.

"Angel?" there was no answer from the still form and he rushed forward, gripping her shoulder. "Angel! Wake up kid." He shook her gently trying to rouse her from the dangerous and deadly sleep her body was trying to fall into.

Angel's eyes fluttered open and she looked up into his face. "Raphael?"

"Yeah kid, it's me. What are you doing out here?!" His voice bordered on concern and anger at the same time as he pulled the girl up from the ground.

"Ran away," was her muttered response.

"What do ya think you are runnin from this time?" Raph had her on her feet now but he had to keep a strong grip on her arm or she would just fall again. That is when he got a good look at her face. Angel had a busted lip and a black eye and Raph instantly felt his blood boil despite the overwhelming cold.

"Scratch that, who did this to you?" he asked gesturing to her face.

"I'm cold. Wanna sleep…"

"Oh no you don't kid!" quickly he took off his own coat and wrapped it around Angel's shoulders. "Listen kid, you got to stay awake." He pulled her closer to him and started to rub her arms trying to warm up the ice cold skin. Raph knew that he had to get her inside or risk hypothermia although looking at the girl she was obviously already suffering from its affects.

"Well, I know that Leo is going to have my tail for this but right now I don't really care. We got to get you some place warm. Come on." Raph resisted the need to pick the girl up and carry her; she needed to keep herself moving. Wrapping one arm around her slight frame he started to push her in the direction to the manhole cover that he and his brothers used to access their home. That is when he noticed that she was moving with a definite limp. Whatever and whoever had hurt her would have to answer to him once she was able to tell him what had happened.

Knelling down and keeping Angel upright was a bit of a challenge but he managed long enough to move the heavy metal lid of the sewer cover. Gently he guided the girl to the ladder, hopping that she had enough strength left to hold on and descend without falling. He waited till he could hear the faint splash of her feet in the shallow run off water below and then moved onto the ladder himself.

"How you doing kid?" he asked just to keep her talking while he pulled the lid back into place.

"Ookayy," Came her stuttered response pushed through chattering teeth.

"Good." He dropped down to the bottom of the ladder without bothering with any of the rungs. "Come on then, lets keep moving." Raph draped his arm around her shoulders again and she snuggled in close to him which oddly enough he didn't really mind.

They reached the door to the lair and when it opened both human and turtle were greeted by a wave of warm air that hungrily embraced them. Raph was reminded in that moment just how cold he had been and how much he hated to be cold.

The sound of chattering teeth made him look down and with the bright clean light of his home he could see just how deathly pale Angel was. "Come on kid, we got some electric blankets that we can wrap you up in."

Without pause Raph moved through the living area of their home to a small room off to the back. With the new lair the small infirmary was one of the first things that they had built. That room had been used more than any of them liked to think about in the past few years.

Donnie was sitting at his computer as Raph walked by with his cargo in tow, eye ridges lifting in surprise as he silently moved to follow them. Leonardo also noticed the quiet entrance of his brother and moved to follow for a completely different reason.

"What has happened Raph?" was Donnie's softly spoken question as he moved around his brother to see who it was he had wrapped up in his oversized coat. He couldn't stop a small gasp of surprise when he met Angel's eyes.

"I think she has hypothermia," and as if on queue Angel's eyes started to drift shut again. "No! Don't do that kid, you need to stay awake."

Raph and Donnie's gazes met and there seemed to be a silent conversation that passed between them. Donatello moved out of the room, brushing past a stoical Leonardo. He was back in less than a minute with a number of blankets wrapping them about the shivering girl.

"Raph, why don't you go and make her some hot broth?"

"Sure Don," he looked back to Angel as he sat her down on one of the small cots in the room. "I'll be right back."

He moved out of the room, bumping shoulders none to gently with Leo as he went out the door. He started to count in his head as he walked: five, four, three, two, one…

"What exactly do you think you are doing bringing her down here?"

So predictable, Raph started to rummage about the cupboards till he found some generic noodle soup. "Look Leo, I wasn't about to leave her. This is Angel after all. She needed help and I stepped up to the plate. What's your problem with that?" He started to heat some water on the stove as he continued to search for a vessel to take to Angel when everything was cooked.

"Why didn't you just call an ambulance instead?"

Raph slammed the cupboard door a little harder than he had originally intended but Leo was getting on his nerves. His brother really was too uptight sometimes. With some effort, Raphael took a deep breath to center himself before he turned to face his brother.

"Look, I made a decision. It might not have been the same choice that you would have made but it's done. The girl needed help and I wasn't about to turn my back on her. Did you look at her?" Leo opened his mouth but Raph cut him off. "No you didn't! Someone beat her up and she took off to the only other place she feels at home, the streets."

At the mention of the girl being beaten Leo eye ridges raised and doubt crossed his features. "Someone hit her?" His tone had changed completely, now he sounded far more concerned rather than annoyed.

"Yeah, I didn't take a lot of time to ask a bunch of questions. She was pretty cold, I think she had been out there for a while."

Silence fell between them like a brick dropped from the Empire State building.

"Your soup is boiling."

"Oh," Raph turned quickly pulling the pan off the stove and pouring the hot contents into an oversized mug he had found.

He brushed past Leo as he headed back to Angel. She sat on the bed looking a little more alert as Donnie wiped an antiseptic over her cut lip causing her to gasp softly. Now that the dirt was gone it was obvious that she had been in some kind of fight. Raph silently handed her the steaming mug which she took graciously, mumbling a faint thank you. No one said anything as they watched Angel sip gently on the hot liquid.

"Angel," Leo pushed himself away from the door jam he had been leaning against. "Are you going to tell us what happened?"

A dark shadow crossed her face as she looked over at him and then away. "Nothing happened," she grumbled.

"A black eye and a busted lip would suggest otherwise." Was his firm yet gentle response.

There was a soft sigh and she looked back down to her mug watching the steam make wavy shapes in the air. The things that had happened to her were not things that she was really ready to talk about or re-live.

"I don't really want to talk about it."

Leo let out an audible sigh. Raph could see that he wanted to push but was hesitant to do so. "Alright Angel, why don't you get some rest. When you are more up to it we will talk."

"Fine, whatever," was her soft response to his back as he walked out of the room before her gaze dropped once more to her soup. She really wasn't all that hungry but the warmth that bled from the cup into her hands was a relief. Her body absorbed the heat and she felt the thin sheet of ice that had attached itself to her skin slowly melt away. Angel had never been that cold before and she hopped that she never would be again.

"How are you doing now?" She looked up to Donnie's kind eyes and she offered him a small smile.

"Much better, thanks."

"You know, you are rather lucky that Raph found you when he did." Donnie moved about the room putting away supplies as he spoke, gently reprimanding the girl.

"I know."

Donatello turned back to her, crossing his arms as he gazed at her. He debated berating her further but then decided that it would do little good at this point so he changed tactics.

"Isn't your grandmother going to be worried about you?"

Angel's expression turned dark as tears began to form at the edge of her eyes. "I said I don't want to talk about it!"

Donnie put his hands up in a defensive move as he was momentarily concerned that he would be wearing steaming soup as she raised the cup in a threatening manner. "Alright, just calm down Angel." The cup was lowered and he stepped closer to the girl glancing over at his brother who looked just as concerned.

"Angel, we are just worried about you okay?" Donnie placed a calloused hand on the side of her face, using his thumb to brush away her unshed tears. Despite herself she leaned into the gentle touch.

"I know and I am sorry I just…can we talk about this latter?"

"Of course kid." Raph steeped away from the corner he had been standing in joining Donnie.

"I'm sorry but I am not really hungry."

"Here, let me take that." Donatello offered as she placed the cup in his hands. "Why don't you get some rest. Your body temp is just about normal again."

Angel just nodded and laid herself down completely on the soft warm bed as she watched Donatello disappear from the room, snuggling down in the blankets that were still wrapped about her. A gentle hand griped her shoulder and she knew instinctually that it was Raphael.

"Sleep tight kid." He started to move away but was stopped by a small hand reaching out for his own. The question was obvious in his eyes as he looked down. She opened her mouth but then closed it again.

She took a deep breath, "please don't leave?" She felt weak for saying it but being alone was the last thing she wanted. "Please?"

Raph looked undecided for a moment as he looked back to the door and then back to Angel. It was unlike Angel to reach out for someone and Raph once again found himself ready to kill the idiot who had managed to break part of this girls spirit. The hand that grasped his was weak and his heart went out to her. For a moment Angel miss read his expression and was sure he was going to pull away but then he gave her a small smile, giving her hand a slight squeeze.

"Why not? Move over kid." He moved away from her to close the door and dim the lights. Mikey would be back any moment with Master Splinter from April's apartment which meant the TV would be turned to full volume. With the door closed it would keep out the bulk of the noise leaving Angel in peace to rest.

Angel scooted over to allow enough room for Raphael to lay down on top of the covers. He settled himself with his head on the pillow allowing Angel to curl up next to him, snuggling her head against his arm. One small arm reached around his chest holding him tight, her body still shivered but not so violently as before.

Raphael closed his eyes and listened to Angel sleep beside him. His mind wondered as he began to think of what could have possibly happened to her. The one thing he did know was what he would do to them in turn. No one hurt one of his family and got away with it. No one.

Angel stirred in her sleep and he tightened her arms around her. The gesture seemed to comfort her as she slipped back off into sleep without wakening. Gently he bowed his chin and kissed her lightly on the top of her head.

"No one will hurt you again Angel, and that is a promise."

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A/N: I am sorry if Angel is a little OOC as I have only seen two episodes with her in it and I liked her character, but I have heard rumor that there are more episodes that she hangs out with Raph. However, the only way that I get to watch any of these episodes is by buying them especially as now they aren't showing them anymore! Ahh!! Anyway, if you think this is something that you guys want me to keep going with then please leave me a review to tell me what you think of it so far. Thanks

Teoryn


	2. Alone

Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT and I am not making any money off this story.

A/N: Thank you to all of you who left me a review. You are right, Larissa, they are a bit off but that is what I get for writing this at one in the morning. I had just finished watching 'The Darkness Within' and when Raph leaned forward to hug Angel as she cried I just knew I wanted to do a story that focused on them. Leo would have helped her; I just think he would not have brought her back to the lair. As I am going off the assumption that while she is friends with the turtles they have never brought her into their home. I had the 'this is not our fight' Leo stuck in my head when I wrote this. So, once again thanks for reading and let me know what you think. I am always up to criticism. (-:

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Chapter 2

Alone

Angel woke in darkness as a figure leaned over her. Slanted eyes and crooked teeth filled her vision as an arm in the shape of a snake reached out for her. In a panic she flung her arms about to get away from the creature, throwing the constricting blankets from her, gasping for breath. As she fumbled pulling herself away she suddenly ran out of bed and she fell to the floor with a loud thump.

She had closed her eyes as she had started to fall but the painful sensation of her back hitting the cold cement floor forced her to open them again. Angel was alone in the dark room, whatever had been there a moment before was now gone and she rubbed her eyes in disbelief. It was just a dream, another nightmare and she was angry towards herself for being so weak…and alone. Why had Raph left her? It took effort but she didn't allow herself to cry taking deep breaths she tried to clear her mind and slow her rapidly beating heart.

Angel's eyes adjusted to the darkness and the light that bled into the room from under the door, it was enough for her to see by. Gingerly she reached for the lamp that sat beside the bed. It was an irrational fear she knew, but she still entertained the idea that somehow she wasn't alone and that her nightmare would still be there. Any sudden movement would result in the creatures return and her immanent demise. Stupid she knew but still she didn't feel completely safe until the warm glow of the sixty watt bulb filled the room to the brim. No shadows left in any corners.

As she stood she noticed some clothes on a far chair. They were far too large for her but as she didn't have anything else with her she would have to make do. After all now that she was out of the warm incasing of her blankets she realized that her clothes were still wet and getting uncomfortable. Quickly she dressed herself in the worn sweets, tying the waist as tight as she possibly could and rolled up the bottoms so that she could walk without tripping. The sweater was another matter and she stopped to look at her reflection in an old tarnished mirror. Angel smothered the need to laugh at her own image despite everything.

The girl looking back at her looked like she was ten years younger and had rummaged through her father's closet to try on clothes. It was an amusing portrait but she didn't quite feel ready to laugh but she allowed herself a small smile before tuning to leave the room. Her hand paused over the door knob as she heard raised voices and her own name.

"Raph, I am not saying that you shouldn't have helped her I am just saying that you didn't have to bring her back here. Angel has a family that I am sure is worried sick about her." Leo said in a voice that sounded like he was forcing himself to be calm.

"And how do you know that Leo?" Raph's voice was low but bitter.

"She has runaway before. Look, I am just saying that maybe we could send her to April."

"Great, so that who ever beat her up will get another chance?"

"My sons," Splinter's elderly voice rang out. "That is enough of this pointless bickering. The child is here now and I think we should leave it up to her to tell us what has happened. It is pointless to speculate. If anyone needs me I will be meditating."

"Of course Sensei," Raph spoke up before his brother. "I am going out for a bit."

"Morning practice will be in an hour."

"Wouldn't miss it Leo."

After that Angel heard the distinct sound of a door opening and then closing and she knew he was gone. Her hart sank, moments before she was actually somewhat happy but now that feeling was gone. They were going to want answers, answers that she wasn't sure she was ready to give. What if they got mad and just kicked her out? She knew they wouldn't do that to her but just like her fear of the creature from her dreams she couldn't shake the 'what if' feeling that was eating away at her.

Still she could smell food. The wonderful aroma reminded her that she had yet to eat anything for the past two days except the broth Raph had made for her the night before. Two days, it seemed like it was two years ago when everything had started to fall apart for Angel. Yet, it had only been two days.

Gathering her courage about herself Angel opened the door to her room and stepped out into the warm lair. The boys sat at the kitchen table each partaking of their breakfast with the exception of Raph. She suddenly felt like she didn't belong in the picture before her. Angel hesitated and was prepared to turn back to the safety of her room but was stopped by Donatello's ever gentle voice calling her name and she reluctantly turned back to him. He was already halfway across the room and she started to walk towards him.

"Hey Angel, how are you doing?" Donatello placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face to the light and examined it. Then she remembered her black eye from the night before.

"I'm fine," she hissed and pulled away. Immediately she regretted it as she saw the hurt she caused Donnie flash across his face. He hid it just as quickly but she had still seen it. Angel reached out to him and griped his arm offering him a small smile. "Don't worry, I've been hurt worse."

"Hmm," was all he said but he did offer her a small lopsided smile.

"Come on Angel," Mikey shouted to them from the kitchen. He came out while in the process of putting on an outlandish apron. It was complete with ruffled edges and had the caption 'kiss the cook' in big, bold red lettering. This time Angel did laugh as Donatello led her to the table. "So what do you want?"

"Um, maybe an egg," she looked about the table and noticed Leo had some bacon on his plate and decided that bacon sounded good as well. "And some bacon?"

"Right away," he offered her a sweeping bow before he left the room and she giggled again.

Mikey hadn't gone far, he was just in the kitchen and there was the unmistakable sound of dishes being pushed about and the clang of a pan as it was tossed onto the top of the stove. Other than that there was no noise and that silence was uncomfortable. Angel glanced up once and met Leonardo's. His gaze was intense and she felt that somehow he had some kind of special power. That he would be able to see to her very soul, that he could see everything about her. She looked away but could still feel the heavy weight of his stare. Quickly she glanced up again but his eyes had softened some as had his stony expression which seemed to be a normal part of his features.

"Who hurt you Angel?" His voice was soft and unobtrusive and she looked up once more. His gaze was filled with concern but something else as well. She got the distinct impression that if she gave him the name he wanted that he would not only return the favor but leave very little left of the person.

Angel opened her mouth to answer but no sound came out. She wasn't ready for this, it was all still to painfully fresh in her own mind. It was as if she spoke it aloud then her world would crumble and she would finally lose control.

Suddenly there was a large crash from the kitchen as Mikey entered the room, saving Angel from having to answer, caring a steaming plate of bacon and eggs. The smell was wonderful and she wasted no time in eating. The hunger that had been gnawing away at her stomach for the past couple of days demanded to be sated at last. Plus eating gave her an escape from Leo's question.

"Slow down there girl! We do have more." Angel glanced over at Donnie and blushed.

"Sorry, I just haven't eaten in a while." She quickly went back to eating when she saw his eyes widen a bit at that. Leonardo and Donatello were having another one of their conversations without saying a word and she just pretended not to notice. She kept her focus on her food.

The door to the lair opened to admit Raphael who hardly glanced in her general direction but he said nothing to her. Instead he headed straight to the dojo. As if on queue the brothers followed suit, Angel was left alone at the table but she didn't mind all that much. Soon she could hear the sounds of weapons clashing together and the occasional thud as someone met with the ground with great force.

Curiosity got the better of her and she moved from the table to the door of the dojo. The sight that greeted her was slightly alarming. Angel knew what the turtles were capable of; they had after all snuck into the Purple Dragon's den and beat almost every low life that was there into an unconscious heap. Angel had been there but she had been busy defending herself and trying to stop Casey from making a bad choice. This time there was nothing to distract her as she watched the six foot brothers go at one another as if they were enemies. Angel watched in amazement as Donatello came down after a failed attack of Leonardo, shell meeting mat with such force she could feel the resonating thud from where she stood.

Perhaps it was due from her currant state of mind but she had a growing feeling that she was simply out of place in this home. She had never set out to find the turtles yet she had wandered to the last place she had last seen them. There really was no place left for her to go. Or at least that is how she felt. The last thing she ever wanted was to be a bother to the turtles. Her problems were not theirs and she had already asked so much of them when her brother had gone missing. They had risked their lives for him and her both. He was missing again but this time it was intentional. Ryan had been offered a scholarship to work on his Doctrine of Anthropology so he was currently in the middle of the Amazonian rain forest studying the culture of some obscure tribe. He was just another person who had left her behind.

Angel wrapped her arms about herself in an unconscious effort to bring some form of comfort to her own mind, but it did little good. In fact, it did nothing to ward off the anger and resentment that was slowly seeping into every fiber of her being. As she watched the turtles fight amongst themselves, so did Angel fight with her own demons. It was stupid for her to stay; there was nothing they could do for her. She was just a bother to them; they had far more important things to do such as fighting the Foot or Purple Dragons. What was she to them but an unwelcome guest, a street kid with attitude?

Tears stung at her eyes and she quickly turned away and stormed off towards the room that she had slept in the night before. Once there she stopped, she had forgotten that she hadn't taken anything with her when she had ran the first time.

"Forget it." Angel was bitter and angry and…she really wasn't all that sure but she just didn't want to stay where she was. She had gotten by on her own before, she could do it again. Angel didn't need anyone. As she headed towards the door she chanced one longing look towards the open door of the dojo before she pushed away her own doubt. Angel turned away again and left the warmth and safety of the lair. Perhaps she could sneak back home, she knew where her grandma stashed money for rainy days; she would take it and try to find her brother Ryan.

The boys finished their work out and filed out of the dojo with the exception of Leo who fell into his routine of extra katas.

"I'm going to go the see Leatherhead, I want to make sure he still has that heating system working. It is going to get cold today. It's probably below freezing latter on tonight."

"Need any help Donnie?"

Don grimaced at the sound of Mikey's voice. He knew that he shouldn't be so negative but he wasn't sure he was up to Mikey's endless abundance of energy. But he couldn't justify saying no either. With an exaggerated sigh that did little to deter his little brother he agreed. "Fine Mikey."

Raphael watched his brothers leave and then proceeded to look about for a certain purple haired girl but was coming up short. He couldn't really explain why but he felt a connection with her, perhaps because she had a tendency to remind him of him self. She was a bit impulsive, reckless and quick to anger but she cared about the people around her. Every time he was around her he felt some of his tough guy image slip a little bit.

Last night was a perfect example, if it had been anyone other than Angel he would never had stayed. Yet when she had reached out for him she had seemed so desperate and he was sure if he had said no he would have done more damage than good. Something bad had happened and he was the one she chose to turn to and he couldn't turn her away. It took him all of two seconds to decide to lay down next to the girl. Something had happened that she was not willing to speak about just yet. That was fine. Raphael could be patient, not that his brothers would believe it but if it was something truly important that he cared about he could be infinitely patient.

He was a little surprised when he didn't see the girl right away but then there was the possibility that she had laid back down. Raph had only glanced at her when he had returned but he had seen how tiered she appeared. So he walked to her room and opened the door to nothing. The room was empty.

A sinking feeling was taking root in his gut as he moved back to the kitchen but still there was no sign of Angel. Raphael froze in the middle of the room his eyes locked with the front door Donnie and Mikey had just left through. There was the distinct sound of someone walking out of the dojo but Raph didn't bother to turn.

"Raph, what is it?" Leo's voice was full of concern as he also froze but his eyes were locked on his brother's tense form.

Raph still didn't say anything but he turned to look at his brother. No words were said between them but he could tell Leo knew what had happened.

"Angel." It was a statement not a question. Then he looked towards the doors as well. The silence in the lair was amplified by the sound of the tv as a news reporter started talking about record lows in the city of New York, advising people to stay inside. Emergency shelters were being set up for the homeless in an attempt to protect them from falling temperatures.

"She is going to get lost out there." Leo's voice held a hint of fear as he sheathed his swords. "I'll take the south tunnels."

"I'll take the north." Raph was already on the move, he went to his room in order to grab his winter clothes and Leo did the same. It was simply too cold not to dress properly against winter's harsh bite.

They met back at the doors and Leo was pulling out his phone. "I'll get Donnie and Mikey to take east and west as soon as they are done at Leatherhead's."

Raph simply nodded and disappeared into the dark tunnels. He could hear Leo shouting something at him about checking back in after an hour but he really didn't care. He wasn't stupid. Leo just had an obsessive need to state the obvious all of the time. Tracking someone in the sewer tunnels was not an easy task on the best of days but now the options were endless. What if she had headed topside? What if she fell down one of the many shafts? What if she got lost and they weren't able to find her in time?

Raphael gave his head a violent shake. He did not want to consider those things. However, he was tempted to give her a peace of his mind. What did she think she was doing taking off?! If nothing else he hopped he would find her so he could at the very least ask her what exactly she thought she was doing.

His ranting and raving at himself was serving only one real purpose and that was to keep his mind off of how worried he really was. He could feel the temperatures dropping around him. Winter's chill was relentless and harsh with no will to forgive anyone left within its uncaring grasp. Angel's life was in danger for a second time within a day, a cold fact that Raphael didn't really want to face.

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A/N: As always, please let me know what you think. I live for reviews.(-: The next chapter will be 'Abandoned.' As temperatures continue to drop at an alarming rate Angel wonders in a dark world that is completely unfamiliar to her. Unable to find her way back and not sure where her forward motion will lead her Angel keeps moving as her waking nightmares keep following her… 


	3. Abandoned

Disclaimer: I do not own the turtles and I am not making any money off this story.

A/N: I am going off the assumption that Angel has met Splinter at some point which I think she does in a Christmas episode, but that is the one I haven't bought yet so I am not sure. As always, thank you all for the reviews and let me know what you think about this bit. I now know where I am going to take this story so it will be more focused after this chapter! (-:

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Chapter 3

Abandoned

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." Angel muttered her mantra. What had seemed like a perfectly sane idea about twenty minutes before was now obviously a painful mistake. She wrapped her arms about herself in an attempt to stay warm but it wasn't doing any good. The old sweater wasn't doing much to keep out the growing chill.

She had absolutely no idea where she was, if only she knew what street she was under she could get her baring. Angel saw another ladder leading up to the surface and ran to it. With numb hands she gripped the cold metal, pulling herself up one rung at a time. Bracing herself as much as she could in such close quarters she pushed against the heavy lid but it would not budge. Angel was far from being weak but she was not only fighting against the heavy weight of the thick steel but also with the ice that was now acting as an extra seal.

Again she descended the ladder to the hard tomb like stone floors of the sewer. She wanted to scream, what had she been thinking? Obviously not at all or she wouldn't have been in her currant situation. It seemed that in the past couple of days every decision she had made on her own had lead her from bad to worse. The only good thing that had happened was Raphael finding her and then she repaid him by taking off. She shook her head at herself angry at yet another bad choice that she had made.

Unable to return the way she had come and not sure where her forward motion would lead she had to make a choice. The cold was seeping through to her skin and the only way she would be able to keep warm would be to move. Standing around doing nothing was dangerous as she felt the cold tighten its grasp about her.

Angel's teeth began to chatter as she turned around to head for what she hopped was the lair. Confusion was gripping her almost as hard as the cold as all the tunnels looked the same to her. The walls were unwavering and the light dimming as it fell through the odd metal grate from the familiar streets above, the day was waning. Sensation in her extremities was beginning to fade and the simple ability to grip anything was becoming more and more difficult. It was also becoming more difficult for her to make out her surroundings as the shadows were beginning to creep in on her.

Visions of Angel's nightmare came back to her and it did nothing but to fuel the fire of her fears. She fought to keep them back but it was a losing battle as the fear encroached upon her very being. Like a dark demon wrapping her in his angry embrace.

Ice was forming beneath her feet and walking was becoming more difficult. Once again she turned a corner and was no better off then what she had been just moments before; in fact she felt things had just become worse. Every turn she made was wrong and she was sure she was just moving farther and farther away from where anyone would ever find her. The inevitable finally happened as she lost her balance and going down with a painful crash. Angel flung her arms out wide to stop her self but to no avail. For a moment after she had made contact with the ground she didn't move, just laid where she had fallen. Her mind was foggy from cold and she felt that she could no longer think straight as she watched shadows dance around her numb vision. Angel could feel her heart racing in her chest as she was sure she could see something moving towards her. She tried to curl into a ball, to pull her self away but it reached for her and she screamed.

The sound was ear splittingly loud and it reverberated off the endless halls of the sewer tunnels. The small rat that had been approaching stopped, raising itself up on its hind legs to look at the human who was now in its domain. The sound the girl emitted was enough to send the small creature down another tunnel and away.

"Angel, you are so stupid," she sighed aloud as she brought her knees up to place her forehead on. Her compact form folded in on itself allowing her to maintain some warmth. "Raphael!" her voice bounced about not seeming to go anywhere. She tried once more with all the force she could muster; taking a deep breath she said his name again. "Raphael!"

Not far away Raph stopped cold in his tracks and looked about himself suddenly. He could have sworn that he heard his name being called. The second time he was sure of it and needed no more encouragement to find its source.

Raphael and his brothers had grown up in the sewers and they had learned exactly how the maze of tunnels could distort any cries for help that were made in it. With an ease that came from years of experience he navigated his way through the dark stone maze. He needed no light to guide him, no map or any other outside aid beyond his own abilities that he had been taught to use since he was old enough to walk.

It didn't take him long to find the huddled figure folded in on itself. Relief washed over him as he let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Yet, his concern was back just as quickly as he knelt by Angel's side; he pulled in the need to start yelling at the girl and instead gently put a hand on her shoulder.

"Angel, you okay?"

Angel looked up thinking that she was dreaming again, but the steady hand on her shoulder and the warmth of his presence told her otherwise. Silently she cataloged her injuries and decided that her biggest wound was to her pride and that was nothing she felt she had a right to complain about. Quietly she shook her head to tell him that she was indeed fine.

The hand sifted to her arm and hauled her up to her feet. The eyes that looked at her with so much concern just moments before were darkening and she looked away. She knew what was coming and doubted there would be any way for her to avoid it. Angel resigned her self silently to her fate.

"I can't believe you kid! What were you thinking!" the grip on Angel's arm tightened slightly as he continued. "You had us all worried!"

"I didn't…" Angel didn't get much of a chance to say more as Raphael's deep base drowned out her own voice.

"You didn't what! Think we would notice that you were gone? That we maybe wouldn't care! Why did you leave?" Raphael glanced at the girl as he continued to drag them back towards the safety and warmth of the lair.

Angel waited to answer, not really thinking Raph wanted her answer, but he stayed silent as he marched them forward. "I didn't think I belonged, I didn't want to be a bother."

Raphael stopped suddenly and looked down at her. "You have got to be kidding me Angel! Don't let Leo's useless jabber upset you! He wants to help you the same as I but you are not making it easy on us! And then before we get to talk to you we find you missing…" Raphael put a hand over his eyes, rubbing his face. "Look, kid…" but useful words escaped him and he gave up. Pushing Angel in the direction of the lair, careful not to lose sight of the girl, he pulled out his phone to call his brothers.

Angel heard him talking behind her as if she wasn't even there and it angered her. She realized that she had made a mistake but did he have to be so hard on her? Everything was starting to unravel and she could feel herself slipping into the deep abyss that had become her life. She wanted it to stop, all of it but there was no where for her to go.

Blindly she walked forward with her jailer walking close on her heals. Directing her forward motion when he felt she was about to walk astray. She knew that she would have never found her way back if it wasn't for Raph but she wasn't sure if back was really where she wanted to be…actually she had no idea any more where she wanted to be, but at least she finally knew where she was. Silently she watched as Raphael opened the large door to the lair giving her one final push inside.

That last push was too much and she spun around to face her antagonist. "Would you stop pushing me! I am not your responsibility!"

Raphael's eyes darkened slightly and he moved closer to Angel, deliberately using his height and bulk to intimidate. He smirked silently to himself as it had the desired affect and Angel took a step back. "Well it's not like you are doing too good of a job taking care of yourself." His voice was low and Angel looked away.

Everything that she had been trying to hide for the past few days was suddenly trying to choke the life out of her. She knew she should be grateful, that she shouldn't be trying to pick a fight with the one person who had saved her, not once but twice. That logical side of her brain was unfortunately out of order and she let her mouth run away with her as she faced of with Raph. "I can take care of myself just fine. Done it before, I can do it again."

"And that would be why I just had to go find you freezing to death out in a sewer tunnel!" He stepped closer still, clinching his fists at his sides. "You need to actually think before you act, then you wont be so stupid!"

"I am not stupid!" she screamed at him using all the force she could muster in her frozen limbs she tried to push him back and away from her but it was like trying to move a stone statue and he didn't budge.

"Oh," he said with a dramatic gesture, his words dripping with sarcasm. "So going out in freezing temperatures without adequate clothing and getting lost was a smart idea. I see where I went wrong now. Thank you so much for clearing that up for me."

"Shut up!" tears burned the corner of her eyes as she watched him. Yelling at her seemed far less painful then this sarcastic mockery of what she knew were big mistakes on her part. "Why do you even care!"

"Why do I care? Kid, are you really that dense?"

"Stop it!" she screamed at him again as the tears did begin to fall. The walls she had erected started to crumble and it scared and angered her that she was losing the control she worked so hard to build up. Clenching her fists she lifted them and struck out, blinded by her own pain and tears she could not see where her hands struck but she knew that it was hard and it caused a pain of a different kind. Tears fell unhindered down her face and she did nothing to stop the flow. Any minute now she would feel the sharp slap of Raphael's hand but she didn't care.

Dimly Angel felt strong hands grip her wrists and she weakly tried to pull away. Suddenly she was wrapped in strong arms that held her firmly but gently to a hard chest. Again she wanted to pull away but the arms only wrapped around her tighter and finally she stopped fighting, allowing herself to fall boneless against Raphael. Excepting the comfort that his embrace offered and for the first time in days allowed her self to cry.

Raphael held the sobbing girl in his arms glancing up at his brothers who had walked in a moment before. He honestly had no idea what to do when Angel had come at him, there was desperation in her movements and he would have never raised a hand to her so he did the only other thing he could think of and that was to grab hold of her. When she struggled he refused to let go and finally he felt her relax and he sunk to the ground with her in his arms. Absently he stroked her hair as he tried to calm her, not knowing if he was being successful or not. He felt the sobs soften somewhat and he looked down to see Angel looking back up at him.

"I'm sorry…" Angel began.

"I forgive you kid," he whispered back.

Leonardo moved forward, kneeling down beside them and offered Angel a small smile. "Angel, what happened to your Grandma?"

The question stung but she didn't break eye contact. "She died, two days ago." Her voice sounded small but she knew he could hear her so she didn't try to raiser her voice any. "I was coming home from work and there was an ambulance outside the door." Fresh tears worked their way to her eyes but she fiercely brushed them away. "I didn't even get to see her before they took her away."

The arms that held her felt like a safe cocoon and there was nothing to fear. She didn't have to relive the memories just speak them out loud. "They carted me off to foster care before I even had a chance to figure out what was going on. They apparently didn't feel like I needed to be informed about what was going on. Even the next day they wouldn't let me into my own home to get my stuff." Silently she griped the arm that was holding her with both of her own much smaller ones. Trying to steal the courage and strength that was there.

"Let me guess, foster care did go over so well for you?" Leo whispered back to her.

"Yeah, you could say that. The guy was a real jerk. Thought he could hit me around, he didn't realize that I know how to hit back." She gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. "That's when I left."

"What was his name?"

Again Leo's voice was soft and gentle, unassuming, yet there was something else in his voice that scared her. Raph was easy to read, if he was mad he said so, Leo was far scarier. He was subtle and calculating. The man was cruel but she didn't feel right about sending Leonardo after him, he just Leo might just cripple the man for the rest of his life. There was also the fact that she was keenly aware of Raphael waiting for her answer. She didn't want to be responsible for either or the brother's actions so she just let the question go unanswered. Raph shifted behind her and she could both feel and hear his voice rumble through his chest. It was oddly comforting.

"What happened to 'this isn't our fight'?" Raph spoke over her head to his brother.

The look in Leo's eyes spoke volumes but his voice was just as soft as before. "It is out fight when someone hurts one of our own."

Those words were not lost on Angel and she quickly looked between the two brothers who were wearing faint smiles.

"Child, you are welcomed in our home for as long as you are in need one." Splinter stepped forward and placed a furry hand on her check, brushing away her dried tears.

Shame filled her for her past actions but she smiled anyway. "I'm sorry I made you all worry."

"Hey, don't sweat it," Don stepped forward from behind Leonardo. "Just don't do that again, you had us all worried sick."

"I won't, promise." She felt Raph shift and she reluctantly let go of him so that he could stand. He didn't leave her though and offered a hand to help her up which she accepted. Exhaustion was trying to pull her back down but she fought against it.

"Child," Master Splinter could see how tiered she was and smiled at her. "Why don't you go and get some rest."

"Thank you, Master Splinter." Slowly she turned from the room and headed back to the far door. This time the darkness of the room was inviting. Pulling off her shoes she collapsed onto of the billowy softness of the bed. With the silence of the room she thought again about the woman who had raised her with a mixture of love and pain.

There was a box, her grandmother had showed it to her a number of times but she was never allowed to look inside. Her grandmother told her that when it was time it would be hers to have but now everything that had been hers had been taken away.

"Hey, kid you asleep?"

"Not yet," she answered with a yawn.

"I was thinking about taking you over to your grans house to get some of your stuff. What do you say?"

She was quite for a bit as she thought. Part of her wanted to desperately go back but then another part of her wanted to stay away from the place. "Yeah, I would like to go." She finally answered, sounding more sure than she actually felt.

"Good," he turned to leave; she could see the shadow of his hand on the door knob. "Good night Angel."

"Good night." The door closed on both her and the day. Tomorrow would be a new start and perhaps she would stop making all of her stupid mistakes and do something right for once. At least for now she felt like she was finally home again.

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A/N: The next chapter Hidden, Angel does not know what is in that box her grandmother always kept away from her but now no one is there to stop her from finally opening it. The things that it hides holds new possibilities for Angel but there is a dark shadow looming on the horizon that is hungry for the turtles. 


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